Colombian Mercenaries in Sudan Reportedly Hired by British-Based Firms

Tucked away close to the gleaming football stadium of a Premier League club in the British capital lies a plain, nondescript apartment building. Behind its unremarkable facade lies a grim reality: a cramped flat connected to murderous atrocities taking place a vast distance to the south.

According to British official documents, this apartment in north London is tied to a international network of companies involved in the large-scale hiring of fighters to combat in Sudan alongside militias accused of numerous war crimes and ethnic cleansing.

Hundreds of Ex- Colombian Military Recruited

A large number of ex-soldiers from Colombia have been enlisted to fight with Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a paramilitary group responsible for sexual violence, ethnic slaughter, and the widespread killing of civilians.

These contractors were directly involved in the paramilitaries’ seizure of the south-western Sudanese city of El Fasher in recent months, which triggered a wave of violence that analysts say has claimed at least 60,000 lives.

While accounts of atrocities increase, connections have been found between the fighters hired to capture El Fasher and addresses in the city of London.

London Flat Connected to Sanctioned Firm

The flat in Tottenham is registered to a corporation called Zeuz Global, set up by two individuals identified and sanctioned last week by the US treasury for hiring Colombian mercenaries to fight for the RSF.

Both individuals – citizens of Colombia in their 50s – are listed in documents at Companies House as resident in the United Kingdom.

The firm remains operational. The day after the US treasury imposed sanctions on those behind the Colombian mercenary operation, Zeuz Global abruptly moved its official location to the centre of London. Its new postcode corresponds to a five-star hotel in a central district.

The establishments in question said they had no connection to Zeuz Global and were unaware why the company had listed their postcodes.

"It is of major concern that the primary figures the US government claims are orchestrating this mercenary supply have been able to set up a UK company operating from a flat in the capital," stated an expert, a researcher and ex-participant of a UN panel on Sudan.

Questions Raised Over British Firm Checks

Experts argue the saga raises questions over how people openly censured by the US for "fueling the civil war in Sudan" were able to seemingly set up and run a company in the UK capital.

The UK's top diplomat has censured the RSF for "systematic killings, torture and sexual violence" following the faction's capture of El Fasher. The RSF has been accused by the US with genocide.

When asked about the company, Companies House did not respond on whether it had awareness of the company's operations or verify the residency status of the sanctioned individuals.

Reaching out to Zeuz was fruitless; its website, set up in spring, was labelled as "being built" with lacking information.

Network Headed by Former Soldier

According to the American authorities, the man at the heart of the South American recruitment operation for the RSF is a citizen of two countries and former army officer located in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

The US alleges this individual of playing a key part in recruiting former Colombian soldiers to be deployed to Sudan using a Bogotá-based employment agency. His wife was also penalized for owning and managing the firm.

Another individual with two citizenships was similarly censured for managing a company accused of processing money and salaries for the operation hiring the mercenaries.

"In 2024 and 2025, companies in America associated with this individual engaged in many wire transfers, amounting to millions of US dollars," the US treasury statement read.

Company Registration and Escalating Violence

In spring of the current year, the sanctioned individuals registered a firm in the UK capital called ODP8 Ltd – later re-branded Zeuz Global.

Shortly after, the RSF attacked the Zamzam displacement camp, slaughtering more than 1,500 innocent people. After its seizure, the site was handed over to the hired fighters, who began preparations for assaulting El Fasher.

The sanctioned individuals are named in Companies House records as owning "starting shares" in the company, with one named as a key controller.

The two describe Britain as their "country of residence".

Impact on the War and Wider Issues

The recruitment of the South Americans has had a significant effect on the trajectory of the conflict, analysts say. These fighters have allegedly instructed minors to be soldiers, as well as serving as snipers, foot soldiers, trainers, and operators for unmanned aircraft.

These aircraft were instrumental in the capture of El Fasher and during fighting in surrounding areas.

"The war in Sudan is a technologically advanced one, with precision munitions and long-range drones causing regular civilian deaths," added the analyst. "These systems require outside assistance to operate. We know that the Colombian mercenary operation has been a major component of this external assistance."

He added that the involvement of sanctioned individuals in a London firm underlined wider worries over the absence of strict vetting when firms are established.

"Owning a UK company like this is a passport for criminals to do business with respectable entities. It's still harder to join a fitness centre in most cases than to set up a UK company," he said.

Government Response and Ongoing Allegations

A government source stated that the recent introduction of "mandatory identity verification" for company directors would provide more confidence about who was establishing and controlling UK companies.

The role of the South Americans in Sudan first came to light last year, leading to an expression of regret from the South American nation's government.

One of the fighters recently admitted that he had trained children in Sudan and seen combat in El Fasher.

The United Arab Emirates, long accused of arming the RSF, has also been linked to the hiring of the contractors. A report alleged that Emirati business people providing Colombians to the RSF were connected to a senior UAE government official. The UAE has consistently denied these allegations.

A British government spokesperson said: "The UK is demanding an halt to violence, the protection of civilians, and the lifting of barriers to aid delivery."

They added that the UK had recently imposed restrictions on RSF commanders for their role in the atrocities in El Fasher.